resolutionsI’ve often said that the best time to begin a New Year’s resolution is the middle of December.  If you can survive Silly Season as a gym-going, non-smoking, positive-thinking, charity-supporting citizen, then you can do anything for the rest of the year.  Think about it though, when is the best time to commit to your intention of changing your life for the better?  At the beginning of the year, or the second you decide it’s what you need, regardless of the date?  It just so happens that right now is the beginning of a new year, but that aside, I always say to myself: ‘If not now, when?’

In 1994 I began drama school and many of my friends were heavily into going to the gym.  I distinctly recall thinking then, that if I had begun going to the gym in high school like they did, I would be as fit as they were.  Following this thought I hypothesised how fit I would be at the end of the three-year degree if only I began going to the gym at the beginning of first year.  17 years later, I can only imagine the physique I would now have if I had followed through on my idea of regularly attending the gym for those twenty years.  Twenty.  Years.  I doubt I am alone in thinking I would get around to something, only to find down the track that much of my life has passed me by.

So what one thing do you want?  Perhaps it’s several things.  It may be a whole list.  Regardless, make a choice, for the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  Which step will be your first?  Saving up for great headshots?  Compiling footage for a knock-out demo reel?  A commitment to finding the perfect acting class?  Perhaps it’s simply to reduce your working hours to make room for what you really love.  Whichever step you decide will be your first, nothing comes of it until you stand up out of your armchair and create some forward momentum.  One step leads to another, and another, and another…

GymAt the start of every year gyms make a fortune on fully paid memberships, many of which are not ever redeemed.  There is never a ‘good’ time to make a change.  If it were easy we would already have done it.  Anything that improves our lives in a substantial way takes considerable effort; otherwise our actions merely maintain the status quo.  After all, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you keep getting what you’ve always gotten.

A successful entrepreneur interviewed on television years ago gave advice on how he became a millionaire.  His first piece of advice was to make a decision and immediately announce the intention to the world.  For him, this had the two-pronged benefit of protecting his idea from copycats and forcing him to carry it through to completion.  He had announced it to all and sundry, so now he had to finish it.  His second secret to success was to create a certain amount of time each day just for him, which he called Prayer Time.  He admitted he wasn’t at all religious, but if he called it Relaxation Time or Me Time people would keep interrupting him, whereas nobody ever dared interrupt Prayer Time.  When asked what he did in that time he replied: ‘Nothing.  That’s the point’.

Despite the many failures I have experienced in my life, I can honestly say that no success has come to me without adhering to this millionaire’s first rule: Make a decision and tell the world.  You will be surprised how many people jump on board the second you have the gumption to nail your colours to the mast.  Call it ‘manifesting’, imagine you are calling the universe into your line of thinking, or just be so passionate that people can’t bear to not be a part of it.  Whichever way you choose to view it, as Martin Scorsese once said: ‘You don’t get anywhere until you first make a decision’.  So make it.  Publicise it.  Enlist support for your idea.  Then do it.

Prayer-TimeAs for his second piece of advice, on creating Prayer Time, I have often let that fall by the wayside, which is a shame.  Even on a plane we are told to get to the oxygen ourselves first, so we can actually help those around us.  This year I’m creating Prayer Time for myself, every single day.

What is one small step you can take towards improving your career and consequently your life?  If you don’t start it this minute, when will you?  If the answer is ‘I don’t know’, then the perfect time is right now.

2013 begins now, but so does the rest of your life.

Paul Barry is an actor, director, writer, teacher and blogger. He co-owns Acting 4 Camera and Showreels Australia. He lives in LA, but regularly teaches via Skype, all around the world.  He is in the business of changing lives. 

You may also like:

10 New Year’s Resolutions For Actors

10 Unuseful Truths

10 Things For Actors To Stop Saying

(The blogs you see on www.acting4camera.com are free, but they don’t write themselves. If you find the information useful, feel free to donate below to keep them coming. Your contribution of any amount is graciously welcomed!)



Avatar photo

paulbarry

View all posts

Advertisement

  •  




Testimonials

Paul is energetic, passionate and generous in the work that he does. As an actor I felt very secure in his classes under his experienced and creative guidance. Paul gave me some really tangible and practical tools to help me move with confidence into the realm of camera after most of my experience was theatre training. I would definitely seek him out to work alongside him in the future.

- Anne Wilson

"Very interesting material he covered. I would definitely say it is a unique approach"

- Brandon Irons

"I really am intrigued by this and excited to try it and apply it.... Thanks for something new that makes sense!"

- George Snarberg